What more concrete evidence on Rohingya massacre do the international community require?

LAST Friday the globally renowned news agency Reuters revealed a shocking special report with spine-chilling photos on how two of its journalists came to unearth a mass grave of ten Rohingya Muslims. The horrific photos of the corpses and the victims bound together helplessly watched as their grave was dug by their Buddhist neighbours, at least a couple of them were hacked to death and the rest were shot dead by the Myanmar troops. The incident occurred on 10 September last year. However, soon after the revelation the two Reuters journalists were arrested by Myanmar authorities.

The burning question now - how much more concrete evidence of the Rohingya massacre do the international community require to take prompt and appropriate action against Myanmar? Until last Friday, accounts of carnage, atrocities and violence against the Rohingyas in Rakhine State have been largely provided by its victims and Google satellite images. The latest Reuters report has been prepared based on Buddhist villagers who confessed of torching Rohingya homes, burying bodies and killing Muslims. If such an authentic special report is not considered seriously to define Myanmar military's actions as crime against humanity, we fear, the future of the ethnic minority is now at serious stake.

As with other, previous reports of mass graves, this report in particular highlights the ongoing and urgent need for Myanmar authorities to cooperate with an independent, credible investigation into allegations of atrocities in Rakhine. Moreover, such credible investigations would help provide a more comprehensive picture of what has truly happened. Then again, now that a deplorable fact has been revealed by the mainstream journalism, the Myanmar authorities would go even further not to cooperate in anymore investigations. Also Myanmar has barred UN authorities to enter in that country. Such impudence is no less than a slap in the face.

Myanmar should not be allowed to keep refusing, rejecting UN proposals and playing with time. It's long past for taking actions and imposing sanctions on Myanmar, international community must act right away.